EU 2050 transport roadmap grasps the destination, but not the route
Posted, March 28, 2011 @ 00:00
Brussels, 28th March 2011 -- A white paper published by the European Commission today sets out a number of laudable targets for future transport systems within the EU, but it woefully lacks clear plans on how it will meet its targets, Jacqueline Foster MEP, Conservative transport spokesman in the European Parliament, said today.
The paper aims to eliminate all conventionally-fuelled cars in European cities, increase the use of sustainable low carbon fuels in aviation, cut shipping emissions and bring about a 50 percent shift of medium distance intercity passenger and freight journeys from road to either rail or water transport.
Mrs Foster said:
"Breaking transport dependence on oil is a very worthy goal. Reducing our dependency on roads for freight transport is important. Eliminating pollution in our cities is necessary. Setting these seemingly arbitrary targets is unlikely to yield positive results. The 2001 White Paper was also full of many positive ideas and ambitious targets, but the EU has failed to deliver on many of these targets.
"I welcome the commission's promotion of SESAR, which will bring about a less fragmented approach to Air Traffic Management in Europe.
"A roadmap such as this is supposed to tell us how to get somewhere. Instead, this document is very clear on the destination but it gives little indication about the route to take to reach it."